The iPhone 16 Keynote Was Really About Healthcare

Dear Studio Fam,

Another iPhone Keynote has come and gone, bringing with it the standard assortment of new colors, spec bumps, and software features. But buried within the presentation were two major breakthroughs that received a relatively small amount of stage time: Apple Watch’s new ability to diagnose Sleep Apnea, and AirPods Pro’s new ability to diagnose hearing loss and act as a medical grade hearing aid.

Few realize quite how disruptive Apple is about to be in healthcare. Apple has eschewed buying a primary care provider the way that Amazon bought One Medical, choosing instead to slowly but surely integrate healthcare centric features and experiences into its products. Very soon, Apple will be poised to completely take over medical care for customers fully ensconced in their ecosystem.

If you've ever helped an elderly relative get a hearing aid, you know the process is ridiculously convoluted and the devices ludicrously expensive. This is the byproduct of years of regulatory capture by dedicated medical device makers, and perhaps only a company like Apple is truly capable of breaking such a cabal. Seeing an audiologist and fitting a hearing aid costs upwards of $3000 in the United States (even after insurance!), and it looks like Apple is about to reduce that hassle to a single <$300 purchase.

While the details of "AirPods as Hearing Aids" are still somewhat vague, it seems obvious that Apple has done something incredible. When was the last time that the cost of treating a medical condition dropped 90% overnight because of a new invention?

Sleep apnea detection on Apple Watch foretells similar improvements to the hassle of sleep therapy treatment. Not long ago, diagnosing sleep apnea required an overnight stay in a sleep clinic. In the last few years, at-home diagnosis became possible with dedicated devices that still required a medical doctor’s order. And the devices themselves are finicky and cumbersome. But soon, every new Apple Watch customer can be alerted to a possible sleep apnea condition by simply wearing their watch to bed.

We don’t mean to say that the primary announcements of the Keynote are unremarkable. The new touch sensor on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro enables a new level of professional photography. And we’ve already written extensively about Apple Intelligence and the direct integration of iOS with ChatGPT. Read on for a rundown of others’ analysis of the Keynote.

Another iPhone Keynote has come and gone, bringing the usual assortment of new colors, spec upgrades, and software features. But tucked within the presentation were two major breakthroughs that received surprisingly little attention: the Apple Watch’s new ability to detect sleep apnea, and the AirPods Pro’s ability to diagnose hearing loss and function as a medical-grade hearing aid.

Few people realize just how disruptive Apple is about to be in healthcare. Instead of following Amazon’s path of acquiring a primary care provider like One Medical, Apple has chosen to steadily integrate health-centric features and experiences into its products. Soon, Apple will be positioned to take over significant aspects of medical care for those deeply embedded in its ecosystem.

If you’ve ever helped an elderly relative get a hearing aid, you know the process is ridiculously complicated, and the devices are outrageously expensive. This is the result of years of regulatory capture by medical device manufacturers, and Apple might be the only company capable of breaking that monopoly. Seeing an audiologist and fitting a hearing aid costs upwards of $3,000 in the United States (even after insurance!), but Apple seems ready to reduce that hassle to a single purchase under $300.

While the details of using AirPods as hearing aids are still somewhat unclear, it’s obvious Apple has achieved something remarkable. When was the last time the cost of treating a medical condition dropped by 90% overnight because of a new product?

The Apple Watch’s sleep apnea detection promises similar improvements in the treatment of sleep disorders. Not long ago, diagnosing sleep apnea required an overnight stay at a sleep clinic. In recent years, at-home diagnosis became possible, but only with specialized devices that still required a doctor’s prescription. These devices are often cumbersome and difficult to use. Soon, however, anyone wearing an Apple Watch to bed could be alerted to a potential sleep apnea condition.

This isn’t to say that the primary announcements of the Keynote were unimpressive. The new touch sensor on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro enables a new level of professional photography, and we’ve already covered Apple Intelligence and its integration with ChatGPT extensively. Read on for a roundup of other analysts’ takes on the Keynote.

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